Curtains



INVENTOR JUL/A R. MARAs ATTGRNEY J- R. MARAs CURTAINS Filed Jan. 25, 1963 Sept. 27, 1966 3,275,065 CURTAINS Julia R. Maras, Buhl, (1203 Poldgama Ave. S., Grand Rapids, Minn.) Filed Jan. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 254,554 2 Claims. (Cl. 160-330) This application is a continuation-inpart of my prior `application Serial No. 4,653, led January 26, 1960, now

abandoned, which was a continuation-'in-part of application Serial No. 798,410, tiled March l0, 1959, now Patent 3,093,187, issued June 1l, 1963.

The present invention relates to curtains, and more particularly to draw curtains of the type mounted on slides to completely close an opening `or to permit light to pass therethrough.

Heretofore, curtains have been provided with various types of draw string arrangements to close and open the curtains, -but the prior arrangements have depended upon accurately making the curtains to iit the opening and therefore required skilled manipulation yof the certain maker to accurately produce the desired result.

An object of the present invention is to provide a curtain structure which is adaptable `to ll openings of different sizes by suitable adjustment of a flexible element arranged adjacent one edge ofthe curtain.

Another Objectis to Vprovide a curtain structure which `can `be readily adjusted to different sized openings.

Other and further .objects will be apparent as the description proceeds and upon reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a rear elevation with themid-portion broken away of a curtain having gather retaining wire stiffened tapes and having chains at the top `and/or bottom for maintaining the swirls of constant width and limiting .the maximum width of opening of the Adraw curtain.

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 Vis a rear elevation of the top portion of the curtain of FIG. 1 in open position.

FIG. 4 is a slide elevation of a pin holding a strand of weights in operative position to limit the opening of the curtain.

FIG. 5 is a front view thereof.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. l showing the seam construction with the stiffening tapes and the ornamental coverings therefor.

The invention includes a draw type curtain supported from the usual slides in a curtain rod with the curtain being attached to the slides at spaced locations along the top edge of the curtain with the means for attachment being adjustable to vary the effective width of the space between the attaching means.l Suitable means in the form of wire stiffened tapes are provided along the length of the `curtain at the spaced locations to maintain the curtain in proper dimensional relation.` Weights at the bottom of the tape assure that the curtain forms proper pleats or gathers with swirls being formed in greater or lesser extent in accordance with the closed or open condition `of the curtain. Flexible strand elements or chains are provided to maintain the desired spacing between the slides and attaching means for obtaining the proper relation between the slides and the uniformity of swirls to assure attractive and neat appearance even with very light sleazy fabrics such as that used for lingerie.

Upon reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 a curtain panel 120 of lingerie type knitted fabric is gathered along vertically extending lines of stitching 121 which secures a first tape 122 stiffened by wires 123 and covered by a selvedge edged covering 124 secured by stitching 125 in place around the wire stiffened tape 122 with the covering 124 being of an attractive material preferably knitted to United States Patent .Patented sept. 27, 1966 ice,

smoothly cover and permit bending of the tape about lines parallel with the top of the curtain while assuring that a neat -attractive appearance is obtained.

A second tape 126 stiifened by wires 127 is covered by an attractive covering material 128 having two selvedge edges with the covering 128 being wrapping around the tape 126 and secured in covering relation by stitching 129 passing through the exposed selvedge edge and a folded over portion of the other edge of the covering 128. An additional row of stitching 130 secures the second covered tape 126, 128 to the curtain panel and to the first tape 1224, 124. l

The two wire stiffened tapes 122-124 and 126-128 provide a tape-like structure and are used with the curtain gather retaining lines ,of stitching 121 and 130. A single wire stiffened tape 122-124 is used in other gather retaining lines of stitching 121. For purpose of identication the covers 124 and 128 respectively thereof are shown in the smaller scale general views of the `drawing for simplicity of illustration.

The curtain is supported from conventional slides by the use of conventional hooks 131 passing through one or more tapes and located at the ydesired position along the tape to properly support the Ycurtain in an attractive manner to cover the opening.

To assure that the tapes extend vertically even with light weight fabric inthe curtain panel, iiat lead weights 131A having apertures in each end are positioned within a fold in the tape 128 and secured by stitching 13,2 passing through such apertures and 4through the tape. In addition to or as a substitute for weights 131, tassle weights 133 having attaching loops formed of. cord 13 4 are mounted with the cord passing through .the bightof the fold at the bottom of the tape 128. The weights effectively maintain the curtain with .the lines of gathering stitching 121 in vertical and smoothcondition.

A hem 135 is provided along the top Aandbottom edges of the curtain panel to prevent raveling and such `hem may be formed merely by folding the material at such edges to prevent -unraveling and applying a line of stitching to s retain the hem. If desired a cord can be sewed to the hem 135. The hem of the top and bottom edges extends over the ends of wire stiiened tapes 122-124.

To prevent uneven separation of the gather retaining tapes 122-124 land 126-128 and stitches 121 and 130 and to assure an even and uniform appearance of the swirls, a relatively non-stretchable and exible strand shown as a link chain 136 is positively connected to the S-shaped hooks 131 by the hooks passing through selected links as shown and such chain will form a uniform catenary between the hooks and maintain the spacing between the tapes uniform due to the force of gravity on the chain. A similar chain is provided at the bottom edge and is attached to the tapes by eyed pins 137 which Vare adapted to penetrate the selected link at the desired spacing along the chain 136 and to be pinned to the tapes fixed to the curtains.

Alternatively a knitted fabric tube having lead shot 139 therein at spaced locations provides a weighted strand element which is used for the same function as chain 136 and the eyed pin 137 is passed through the fabric of the tube at the desired spacing to control the maximum width of the curtain and to predetermine the maximum spacing between the adjacent tapes 124 so that the tapes are in the desired spaced relation to each other to give the desired dip in the swirls of the curtain. It will be apparent that the strand element 138 can be used as a substitute for the link chain 136 or in addition thereto at the top and/or at the bottom and the same fastening S-shaped hooks 131 or pins 137 can be used for securing the strand element 138 or chain in operative position.

From the above description it will be apparent that a 'series of attractive, serviceable, and easily laundered cur` elongatedfstiiening tape-lile structure extendingptransvlying inthe plane of the'tape with such line orlines being 1' substantially parallel with the top and bottom of the curtain. The tape-like .structureis relatively non-bendable form arrangement. t

It will be apparent thatchanges can be made within the scope of the invention as dened by the valid scope of the. accompanying claims.

I claim:

' 1. An .adjustable width continuous panel draw cur,-

tain for lling a desired width portion of an opening comprising a curtain panel of a maximum width greater than the width of the portion of theopening toebe covered,

`about a line perpendicular to the tape and'perpendicular to the curtain panel so that the Yswirls hang in a neatrni-V slides attached to the curtain at a plurality of spaced 10- cations along the top edge of the curtain, a flexible strand element extending along the said top edge of the curtain between the two side edges of the curtain, said ilexible strand being of a length corresponding to the width of the portion of the openingto be icovered by said curtain,

means Vfastening said flexible strand elment adjustably to the top edge of the curtain at spaced locations with each spaced location being adjacent each slide with the length of the portion of the ilexible,v element between adjacent slides being such as to limit the effective width of V.the curtain to lessV than said maximum width whereby when the curtain is extended to ll the said portion Vof the opening the said ilexible element limits the width of the extended curtain and controls the fullness of each portion of the curtain between `each pair of adjacent slides by the relation of the length of the flexible element between the said pair of adjacent slides relative to the width of curtain material between the said same pair of adjacentV slides, said curtain having gathers extending between said side edges and generally f parallel to said top edge, an

verselyto said gathers andsecured to said curtain from said top edge to the bottom edge and including relatively stiff strand means along each edge of the tape-like memt ber, said tape-like member being readily bendabler alongv a line parallel to said top edge and relatively non-bend?Y able A.along'a line transverse tothe plane of vthe curtain? whereby a neat appearanceis maintained in said curtain. 'l

2. `The `invention according to AclaiiiY 1 vin which said 'i tape-like structurerincludes an elongatedV fabric tape` hav-Y i ing vat least two layers` extending transversely of the gathers, Pand. Va relatively., stiff .strandV elementV adjacent each edge of the tape and lying between the layers, said layers being secured together retaining said stiffI strands in position between said layers, stitches extending through said panel, the gathers therein and through the tape-like structure securing said tape-like structure to the curtain.

lReferences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Y 1,173,927 2/ 1916 Burns 112-,-426 1,828,678 10/1931 Peterman et al i60-349 1,841,065 'e kl/1932 Simon 160-332 X 1,922,170k 8/ 1933 McGarry 160-349 X 2,020,838 11/1935 Y Kaemmer 160-371 X 2,121,174 6/1938 Maynard 160-371" k2,245,285 6/1941 `Loeb 160-,330 X Y 2,261,142 11/1941 Davis 160-330 2,520,613 8/ 1950 Robertson 160-330X 2,543,459 2/1951 Hicks 160-348 2,555,847 6/ 1951 Druck 1GO-348 2,605,830 8/1952 Bixer 160-348 2,638,977 5/ 1953 Hardwick 160+344 2,893,484V 7/ 1959 Gordon a: 160-.-229

' v FOREIGN yPATENTS 628,270 6/ 1927 France.

46 HARRISON R. MOSELEY',YPr.mary xamner. `f

BENJAMIN BENDETT, Exarxm'ner.V 11.11. RATH, P. C. KANNAN, Assistant Examiners. y 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE WIDTH CONTINUOUS PANEL DRAW CURTAIN FOR FILLING A DESIRED WIDTH PORTION OF AN OPENING COMPRISING A CURTAIN PANEL OF A MAXIMUM WIDTH GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE PORTION OF THE OPENING TO BE COVERED, SLIDES ATTACHED TO THE CURTAIN AT A PLURALITY OF SPCED LOCATIONS ALONG THE TOP EDGE OF THE CURTAIN, A FLEXIBLE STRAND ELEMENT EXTENDING ALONG THE SAID TOP EDGE OF THE CURTAIN BETWEEN THE TWO SIDE EDGES OF THE CURTAIN, SAID FLEXIBLE STRAND BEING OF A LENGTH CORRESPONDING TO THE WIDTH OF THE PORTION OF THE OPENING TO BE COVERED BY SAID CURTAIN, MEANS FASTENING SAID FLEXIBLE STRAND ELEMENT ADJUSTABLY TO THE TOP EDGE OF THE CURTAIN AT SPACED LOCATIONS WITH EACH SPACED LOCATION BEING ADJACENT EACH SLIDE WITH THE LENGTH OF THE PORTION OF THE FLEXIBLE ELEMENT BETWEEN ADJACENT SLIDES BEING SUCH AS TO LIMIT THE EFFECTIVE WIDTH OF THE CURTAIN TO LESS THAN SAID MAXIMUM WIDTH WHEREBY WHEN THE CURTAIN IS EXTENDED TO FILL THE SAID PORTION OF THE OPENING THE SAID FLEXIBLE ELEMENT LIMITS THE WIDTH OF THE EXTENDED CURTAIN AND CONTROLS THE FULLNESS OF EACH PORTION OF THE CURTAIN BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF ADJACENT SLIDES BY THE RELATION OF THE LENGTH OF THE FLEXIBLE ELEMENT BETWEEN THE SAID PAIR OF ADJACENT SLIDES RELATIVE TO THE WIDTH OF CURTAIN MATERIAL BETWEEN THE SAID SAME PAIR OF ADJACENT SLIDES, SAID CURTAIN HAVING GATHERS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDE EDGES AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID TOP EDGE, AN ELONGATED STIFFENING TAPE-LIKE STRUCTURE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO SAID GATHERS AND SECURED TO SAID CURTAIN FROM SAID TOP EDGE TO THE BOTTOM EDGE AND INCLUDING RELATIVELY STIFF STRAND MEANS ALONG EACH EDGE OF THE TAPE-LIKE MEMBER, SAID TAPE-LIKE MEMBER BEING READILY BENDABLE ALONG A LINE PARALLEL TO SAID TOP EDGE AND RELATIVELY NON-BENDABLE ALONG A LINE TRANSVERSE TO THE PLANE OF THE CURTAIN WHEREBY A NEAT APPEARANCE IS MAINTAINED IN SAID CURTAIN. 